Victoria
Victorian Coalition plans to split Court of Appeal
The Victorian opposition has pledged to establish a dedicated Court of Criminal Appeal to focus on tougher sentencing if elected in November.
The Victorian Coalition has announced a major judicial policy ahead of the upcoming state election, pledging to split the current Court of Appeal. Under the proposal, a dedicated Court of Criminal Appeal would be established in a bid to focus on tougher sentencing for offenders.
According to a wire report, the opposition plans to implement the structural changes to the state's highest court if it wins government in November. The policy forms a central part of the Coalition's broader tough on crime platform, which aims to address community concerns regarding sentencing leniency.
Currently, the Court of Appeal operates as a single division of the Supreme Court of Victoria, handling both civil and criminal matters. The proposed split would see the creation of two distinct divisions, allowing judges in the new criminal appellate division to specialise solely on criminal law appeals and sentencing matters.
Supporters of such judicial splits often argue that a dedicated criminal appeals court can streamline the legal process, lead to more consistent sentencing, and allow judicial officers to develop deeper expertise in complex criminal matters. However, specific details of how the court would be staffed, the projected cost of the restructure, and how existing judges would be allocated remain unconfirmed.
The Victorian government has not yet formally responded to the Coalition's judicial proposal. Legal experts and stakeholders are expected to scrutinise the plan to assess its potential impact on the state's judicial resources and overall court backlogs.
Observers will be watching to see how legal industry bodies and the government respond to the proposed judicial restructure in the lead-up to the November election.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
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